RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Less
lie Tellier
still distinguish between the religion of Christ and the Christian religion, holding to the former alane, may regard Lessing as the inaugurator of a new era in theology. But if it be maintained that the essential thing in Christianity is one's attitude toward the Savior, considering him as the object of Christian worship and not merely its teacher, Lessing's position can hardly be called a Christian one. Nevertheless, it can not be denied that his ethical views, and even his religious conceptions, were rooted in Christian soil. His religious opinions did not radically change, as some have suggested, toward the end of his life; nor was he a Spinozist, he was rather a follower of Leibnitz. He believed in a conscious God, who ruled above the world. In the revealed religions he saw preparatory stages to the truths of natural religion. He expected a third stage in religious history, following Judaism and Christianity, in which a new and everlasting evangel should be promulgated, a period in which every man would do right for right's sake.
(Carl Berthbau.)
Bibliography: The editions of Lessing's works are very numerous and easily accessible; Eng. transls. of his works are also numerous, e.g., Laocoon, by Sir. R. Phillimore, London, 1875; Selected Prose Works, by E. C. Beesley and Helen Zimmern, ib. 1879; Dramatic Works, in Bohn's Library," 2 vols., ib. 1875—78; Education of the Human Race, by F. W. Robertson, ib. 1858. Among the many biographies may be named: T. W. Danzel and G. E. Guhrauer, 2d ed. by W. von Maltzahn and R. Boxberger, 2 vols., Berlin, 1884; A. Stahr, Boston, 1866; H. Zimmern, London, 1878; J. Lime, 2 vols., London, 1879; E. Schmidt, 2 vols., Berlin, 1884; T. W. Rolleston, London, 1889; A. W. Ernst, Stuttgart, 1903; and ADB, xix. 756-802. Various phases of his literary and theological activities are discussed in: H. Ritter, Ueber Lessing's philosophische und religiose Grundsatze, Gottingen, 1847; W. Beyschlag, Lessings Nathan der Weise und das positive Christenthum, Berlin, 1863; J. W Loebell, G. E. Lessing, Brunswick, 1865 (deals with his relations to German literature); I. A. Dorner, Geschichte der protestantischen Theologie, pp. 721 sqq., Munich, 1867, Eng. transl., Hist, of Protestant Theology, 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1871; E. Niemeyer, Ueber Lessings Padagogik, Dresden, 1874; T. W. H. Rolleston, Lessing and Modern German Literature, London, 1900; C. Sell, Die Religion unserer Klassiker, Tubingen, 1904; L. Zscharnak, Lessing und Semler, Giessen, 1905.
LESSIUS (LEYS), LEONARDUS: Jesuit theologian; b. at Brecht (14 m. n.e. of Antwerp), Belgium, Oct. 1, 1554; d. at Louvain Jan. 15, 1623. He studied at Louvain and entered the Society of Jesus in 1572. After teaching philosophy in the Jesuit College at Douai for seven years (1574-81) he devoted himself for four years to the study of theology in Rome and in 1585 became professor of theology at the Jesuit college at Louvain, remaining there till his death. In 1587 the theological faculty at Louvain attacked Lessius and Jean du Hamel, his colleague, censuring thirty-four theses extracted from their lectures, especially on the doctrines of inspiration, and grace and liberty. Lessius defended himself in Sex antitheses and Responsio ad Antapologiam. Against the Augustinian doctrine of grace, which was still upheld by the faculty of Louvain, Lessius denied the sole efficacy of grace. He also discarded the doctrine of inspiration and based the canonicity of the books of the Bible upon the subsequent testimony of the Spirit. But in spite of his liberal views he had no sympathy with VI.— 30
any tendency or creed outside of the Roman Catholic Church. He was a versatile and prolific writer, and owed his chief fame to his comprehensive work on ethics, De jure et institia ceterisque virtutibus cardinalibus libri iv. (Louvain, 1605). Here he treats in the scheme of the four cardinal virtues all questions of ethics, political economy, natural law, etc., after the manner of Jesuit morals. He wrote also: Defensio potestatis summi pontificis (Saragossa, 1611); Discussio decreti magni consilii Lateranensis et quarundam rationum annexarum de potestate ecclesice in temporalibus (Mainz, 1613); Hygiasticon seu de vera ratione valetudinis bonce et vita una cum sensuum iudicii et memories integritate ad extremam senectutem conservandce (Antwerp, 1613; Eng. transl., Cambridge, 1634). A collected edition of his works was published under the title Opuscula quibus pleraque sacrw theologice mysteria explicantur et vita recte instituendce prcecepta traduntur (Antwerp, 1623). (R. Seebbrg.)
Bibliography: H. Hurter, Nomenclator literarius, i. 245 sqq., Innsbruck, 1892; F. X. Linsenmann, M. Baius und die Grundlegung des Jansenismus, Tubingen, 1867; G. Schneemann, Entstehung und Entwickelung der thomistisch-molinistischen Kontroverse, Freiburg, 1879-80; idem, Controversiarum de divina gratia liberi arbitrii concordia, ib. 1881; KL, vii. 1844-51.
LESSON FOR THE DAY. See Pericope. LESTINES, SYNOD OF. See Lifting, Synod of.
LE TELLIER, le tel'Tye', MICHEL: French Jesuit and confessor of Louis XIV.; b. near Vire (36 m. s.w. of Caen) Dec. 16, 1643; d. at La Fleche (24 m. s.s.w. of Le Mans) Sept. 2, 1719. He studied at the Jesuit college of Caen, and in 1661 entered the Society of Jesus. While teaching at the College Louisle-Grand he became distinguished as a polemic theologian, especially against the Jansenists. In 1672 he published at Rouen his Observations sur la version Jrancaise du Nouveau Testament imprime'e a Mons (cf. Bible Versions, B, VI., § 4), and assisted Dominique Bouhours in translating the New Testament into French (1697). In support of the Jesuit principle of making certain concessions in order to convert the heathen, especially in China, he wrote Defense des nouveaux Chretiens et des missionaires de la Chine, du Japon et des Indes (2 vols., Paris, 1687); in his Histoire des cinq propositions de Jansenius (Liege, 1699), written under the pseudonym Dumas, he assailed Jansenism; and in his Le Pere Quesnel seditieux et heretique (Paris, 1705) he attacked Pasquier Quesnel (q.v.). Among his other works special mention should be made of his Recueil des bulles sur les erreurs des deux derniers siecles (Mons, 1697).
The services of Le Tellier won him the rank of a provincial of his order, and in 1709 he became the confessor of Louis XIV., over whom he exercised a profound influence against the Jansenists. To him the destruction of Port Royal was ultimately due, as was the resumption of efforts to suppress Protestantism. He was also a potent factor in securing the promulgation of the bull Unigenitus. With the death of Louis XIV. (1715), however, his influence was at an end, and the regency banished him from court, first to Amiens and later to La Fleche. (Eugen Lachenmann.)
Letters Dimissory Levi, Levites